Watching Ranveer Singh carry off the most bizarre clothes reminds me of the very eccentric Raaj Kumar of yore. Teaming a red polka-dotted shirt with a natty lavender suit in a recent bank ad was Ranveer at his sober best. Otherwise, his wardrobe is what makes the battery of photographers outside any event go crazy with the flashbulbs. What’s Ranveer wearing today? That’s what headlines wait for on the 24x7 media-watch that currently rules the Internet. He could turn up, full of beans, in a long, beige sleeveless vest with slits. He could wear a floral pattern on a shirt, repeated on his shoes. A tight bodysuit with a hoodie may be the mood of the evening. A T-shirt that reads “No Fucks To Give” is flaunted at a film screening. Pyjamas with cartoon prints like a little boy’s night suit, kilt-like skirts, long, flowing skirts and palazzos, Ranveer could spring out of his car in anything.

In his time, Raaj Kumar was also known to be unpredictable. In an era which was quite unlike the present when stylists bring their fashion sense to an actor’s screen-wear, Raaj Kumar was the rare one who’d boast, “I design all my clothes myself.” They were sometimes outrageous and those were comparatively sober times except for Shatrughan Sinha’s loud colours and Jeetendra’s white shoes.

I once asked Raaj Kumar whatever made him wear an apple green suit for a particular film. The actor was astounded. In fact, he pitied me for the query.

“The green symbolised the change in season, the change in the emotion,” he replied and added something like, “I feel sorry for you that you couldn’t understand the depth in my choice of colour.”

Ranveer, however, is more exuberant than eccentric. Apart from clothes that would look outlandish on anybody else, the young actor also plays with his hair. From long locks and dreadlocks to a ponytail or a parting in the middle, Ranveer can sport any hairstyle. That was one area where Raaj Kumar couldn’t afford to experiment since he wore a wig that he was very touchy about. Nobody was allowed to go into his make-up room or see him without his wig, though every one of his heroines tried to catch a glimpse of his bald head. Raakhee used to giggle that he was not completely bald, there were wisps of hair at the back of his head. But the wig was a sore point and nobody could get him to talk about it. Raaj Kumar could not, therefore, horse around with his hair like Ranveer does.

But in their choice of roles, there’s a similarity. Raaj Kumar would’ve happily played Alauddin Khilji who doesn’t get the heroine. So, there’s been a commonality; two actors unafraid of their looks and choices. Neither Raaj Kumar nor Ranveer could boast of looking like a standard film hero but the unconventionality is worn with such a casual confidence that it dares you to question it. There is also a self-assurance in their performances that doesn’t betray any insecurity however powerful the rest of the cast may be. Raaj Kumar was so sure of who he was that he also told me, “Every time a film of mine flops, I ask my secretary to raise my fee by Rs 1 lakh.” One lakh then was like a couple of crores today.

There are huge differences, of course. Unlike Raaj Kumar, known for a certain set of mannerisms and frequent use of “Jaani” in his dialogues, Ranveer takes the shape of the character he’s portraying, there’s nothing repetitive about him.

The biggest dissimilarity is that Raaj Kumar was quirky in his behaviour. He once put salt in my tea and passed it off as Kashmiri kahwa. This eccentricity and disdain for others often made him a producer’s nightmare. Ranveer, on the other hand, is not unpredictable in his behaviour; he’s never unprofessional. And his quirky wardrobe is welcome. So what’ll it be next? Will he step out in a male sari? With Ranveer Singh, you never know.

Bharathi S. Pradhan is a senior journalist and author